Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for December 2020 – February 2021.  Dated March 2021.

Winter temperatures were well above normal in southern California and slightly above normal in all of Nevada, Washington, and Oregon.  Near or slightly below normal temperatures were found in parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.  Much of the West saw below normal precipitation throughout the winter.

Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook for the Western Region for September – November 2020.  Dated December 2020.

Temperatures were above-average during the fall west of the Rocky Mountains, favored by a strong high pressure ridge anchored along the coast. Although fall is typically dry in the southern half of the West, the persistent ridge prevented landfalling Pacific storms, leading to well-below normal precipitation in many regions.

Provides information on the typical La Niña winter pattern; the La Niña outlook; potential impacts; and comparisons of conditions during previous La Niña years.

NOAA’s Regional Climate Services Program created these outlooks to inform the public about climate impacts within their respective regions. Each regional report contains easy-to-understand language, and anyone can access them through the Drought Portal.